<<(They the hypocrites are) swaying between this and that, belonging neither to these nor to those, and he whom Allaah sends astray, you will not find for him a way (to the truth – Islaam). >> [Nisa’: 143]

Abu Jafar said: Allaah The Magnificent, The Praiseworthy means by His saying: مُّذَبْذَبِينَ << swaying>>, it means: ‘going back and forth’.

The origin of the word is التذبذب (pendulous motion) which is movement and disarray.

What Allaah intends by this is -that the Munafiqeen (hypocrites) are confused and in disarray regarding their Deen, they do not return to a correct belief, so they are not with the believers upon knowledge and insight, nor are they with the Mushrikeen upon ignorance, but they are in confusion between the two so their similitude is that which the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- gave, from Ibn Umar from the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- who said:

‘The example of a Munafiq (hypocrite) is like that of a female sheep going between two sheep, frequenting this one and then the other one, not knowing which one to follow.’[2]

The people of Tafseer, similarly said what we have said regarding its Tafseer.

Here is a mention of those who said this:

* From Suddi : مُّذَبْذَبِينَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ لاَ إِلَى هَؤُلاء وَلاَ إِلَى هَؤُلاء << (They the hypocrites are) swaying between this and that, belonging neither to these nor to those >> they say that they are not Mushrikeen then they manifest Shirk, yet they are also not Believers.

* From Qatada: مُّذَبْذَبِينَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ لاَ إِلَى هَؤُلاء وَلاَ إِلَى هَؤُلاء << (They the hypocrites are) swaying between this and that, belonging neither to these nor to those >> [the people of knowledge] say: they are not sincere Believers, nor are they Mushrikeen, openly proclaiming Shirk. It was mentioned to us that the Prophet -alayhi as-Salam- would quote an example of the Believers, the Munafiqeen and the Kuffar, that they were like the example of a group of three people who went to a river, the Believer entered it and crossed it, then the Munafiq entered it and he was about to reach the Believer but the Kafir called out to him: come back to me, for I fear for you!

The Believer called out: come back to me, for I have such and such! He enumerated all that he had for him. The Munafiq repeatedly went back and forth between the two until something harmful occurred to him and caused him to drown.’

Indeed the Munafiq remained in uncertainty and doubt until death came to him while he was in that state.

It was mentioned to us that the Prophet of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- used to say: the example of a Munafiq is like a sheep bleating amongst other sheep, it saw a sheep upon some high ground and went to it but it did not know that sheep, then it saw another sheep upon some high ground elsewhere and it went close to it but it did not know that sheep either.’[3]

* From Mujahid regarding the saying of Allaah مُّذَبْذَبِينَ << swaying between >> he said: ‘They are Munafiqoon’

* From Mujahid: مُّذَبْذَبِينَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ لاَ إِلَى هَؤُلاء وَلاَ إِلَى هَؤُلاء << (They the hypocrites are) swaying between this and that, belonging neither to these nor to those >> he said: not going to the Companions of Muhammad -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – nor to these Jews.

* From Ibn Juraij regarding the saying of Allaah مُّذَبْذَبِينَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ << (They the hypocrites are) swaying between this >> he said: they did not have sincerity of Eemaan such that they could be with the Believers, however they were not with the people of Shirk.’

* Ibn Zayed said regarding the saying of Allaah مُّذَبْذَبِينَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ << (They the hypocrites are) swaying between this >> between Islaam and Kufr

As for the saying of Allaah Ta’ala وَمَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ سَبِيلاً << and he whom Allaah sends astray, you will not find for him a way (to the truth – Islaam).>> Here Allaah means: whomever Allaah leaves to stray – from the correct way; which is the Islaam to which Allaah called His slaves.

Allaah Ta’ala says: whomever Allaah leaves to stray from the path then Allaah does not give him success. فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ << you will not find for him >> O Muhammad سَبِيلاً << a way (to the truth – Islaam). >> meaning: a path which will lead one to the truth, which is Islaam. Which other path to the truth can there be for him other than Islaam? Allaah, The Magnificent and Praiseworthy, mentioned that whoever follows other than Islaam as their Deen then it will never be accepted from him, and whomsoever Allaah causes to go astray has deviated and there is no guide for him besides Allaah.’

[Jamia’ al-Bayaan un Taweel al-Qur’aan 9/332-335]

[1] Muhammad bin Jareer bin Yazeed bin Katheer bin Ghalib al-Aamali, Abu Jafar at-Tabari (d. 310A.H.) is regarded as the Imam and father in the field of Tafseer. Anyone who writes about Tafseer has to refer to the source, which is his Tafseer collection. His famous Tafseer collection is called ‘Jamia’ al-Bayaan Taweel al-Qur’aan’, it is a Tafseer founded on narrations.

'‘Whoever sleeps while in a state of purification then an Angel spends the night in his garment, he does not wake up at any time during the night except that the Angel says: O Allaah forgive Your slave such and such since he went to sleep upon purification.’'

[Collected by Abdullaah ibn al-Mubarak in 'Hadeethihi' & 'Zuhd', and Albaani declared it to have a Hasan Isnaad in Silsilah Saheehah no. 2539]